Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

The secret ingredient to this incredibly rich and moist chocolate cake is sour cream!

This chocolate sour cream cake has been my favorite chocolate cake recipe ever since I first shared it here in 2012. It has the richest chocolaty flavor and is so incredibly moist!

Pair those incredible cake layers with a light and fluffy chocolate filling and tangy chocolate sour cream icing and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.

It’s a chocolate lover’s dream come true, for sure. But it’s also a fairly basic and uncomplicated recipe so it’s perfect for all occasions, big or small! 

Why Sour Cream in a Chocolate Cake?

Thanks to its high fat content and acidity, sour cream adds moisture, body, and rise. It gives this cake a richer flavor, but also keeps it from drying out.

Simply put, sour cream is why this chocolate cake is so amazing!

So let’s get baking, shall we?

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make the chocolate cake layers:

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch process)
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Sour cream
• Vegetable oil
• Eggs
• Brewed coffee

And here’s what you’ll need for the chocolate sour cream frosting and filling:

• Quality semi-sweet chocolate (can use chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars)
• Sour cream
• Corn syrup
• Instant espresso powder (optional)
• Vanilla extract
• Heavy cream

How to Make Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

This almost one-bowl cake is as simple as it gets. No mixer required!

1. Sift dry ingredients. Use a fine mesh strainer to sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.

2. Whisk wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, and coffee.

3. Add wet to dry. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Do not overmix, a few lumps are okay.

4. Divide into prepped cake pans. Grease cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Divide batter evenly between pans.

5. Bake and cool. Bake cakes at 350° for about 25-35 minutes (depending on pan size).

6. Make frosting. Melt chocolate and espresso over a double boiler, and cool slightly. Whisk in sour cream, corn syrup, and vanilla. Frosting will be thin, but will thicken as it cools.

7. Make filling. Whip heavy cream till thick, then fold in 1 cup of the chocolate sour cream frosting.

8. Assemble cake. Place one cake layer on plate or stand and cover with half of whipped chocolate filling. Repeat with remaining cake layers. Frost with the rest of the chocolate sour cream icing.

And, enjoy!

My Best Cake Tips

• If you’re new to baking layer cakes or need a little help, be sure to check out my complete guide for how to build a layer cake. It’s got everything you need to know!
• For the absolute best results, have the sour cream and eggs at room temperature before mixing the cake. This will help the ingredients combine better, which affects rise and texture.
• You can use either 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans. (These are the pans I have and love.) 8-inch pans will yield a taller cake, 9-inch will yield one that’s wider. I like to use 3 pans to make 3 layers for this cake but you can also use more or less pans for a 2, 4 (or more) layered cake.
• Do your cakes tend to stick inside the pan? See how I prepare my cake pans so they come out clean every single time.
• A quick note about baking with coffee: This cake does not have any sort of coffee flavor, but rather coffee is used to enhance the chocolate flavor. And it really does make a difference in how chocolaty this cake is! If you aren’t a coffee drinker, keep instant coffee granules in your pantry, or pick up a cup from your local coffee shop. In a pinch you can substitute with water.
• If you need a little help frosting your cake like a (semi) pro, see my full tutorial.
• I like to store assembled cakes in the fridge to keep them firm, fresh, and safe from little hands. They will be freshest within 2-3 days of assembly but can be stored for up to a week. Pull the cake out of the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
• Cake layers can be made ahead! Wrap in plastic and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer (double wrapped) for several months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before assembling.

Chocolate Cake Recipes

All of these chocolate cakes use this chocolate sour cream recipe as a base! I told you it was my favorite. 😊

• Chocolate Sheet Cake
• Chocolate Rainbow Ice Cream Cake
• Oreo Dirt Layer Cake
• Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake
• Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

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This recipe was originally published July 2012.

get the recipe

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

Servings: 10 servings

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Assembly Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Incredibly rich and moist chocolate cake. The secret ingredient in both the cake and the icing is sour cream!

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5 from 5 votes

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (110 grams)
• 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour (330 grams)
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt (5 grams)
• 2 ½ teaspoon baking soda (11 grams)
• 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ¼ cups sour cream (282 grams)
• 1 cup vegetable oil (267 ml)
• 1 ¼ cup coffee (295 ml)

For the icing:

• 15 ounces semi-sweet chocolate , chopped (425 grams)
• 1 ¼ teaspoon instant espresso , optional
• 2 cups sour cream , at room temperature (450 grams)
• ¼-½ cup light corn syrup (59-118 ml)
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup icing (above)

Instructions

To make cake layers:

• To make the cake, preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
• In another bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Add coffee and whisk until smooth.
• Add wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients and whisk until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Do not overmix.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make filling and frosting:

• Melt the chocolate and instant espresso (if using) in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.
• In another bowl, combine the sour cream, vanilla extract, and ¼ cup corn syrup. Add the melted chocolate and stir until smooth. Taste for flavor and add additional corn syrup a tablespoon at a time to reach the desired sweetness. (¼ cup was just the right amount for me.) The icing will have a thin consistency, but will continue to thicken as it cools to room temperature.
• To make the filling, beat whipping cream to medium peaks. Fold together with 1 cup of the chocolate sour cream frosting until combined.

To assemble the cake:

• Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and cover the top with half of the filling. Place another layer on top, followed by the rest of the filling.
• Frost cake with chocolate sour cream frosting as desired.. Store the cake in the fridge until ready to serve, along with any leftovers.

Nutrition

Calories: 824kcal, Carbohydrates: 101g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 26g, Cholesterol: 123mg, Sodium: 665mg, Potassium: 566mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 65g, Vitamin A: 908IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 148mg, Iron: 6mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Annalise

Have you tried this recipe?

I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below, send me an email, or take a photo and tag it on instagram with #completelydelicious.